


Bleeding Blue

by bmw4fh1017



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: 1936-1937 NHL Season, 2013-2014 NHL Season, 2014-2015 NHL Season, Canon Divergence - Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Established Relationship, M/M, NHL RPF, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pre-Captain America: The First Avenger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-10-20 19:10:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17628002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bmw4fh1017/pseuds/bmw4fh1017
Summary: Bucky Barnes brings his best friend Steve Rogers to his first New York Rangers hockey game in 1937.Over 70 years later, Steve returns the favor.





	Bleeding Blue

**Author's Note:**

> Just my take on why Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes would be fans of the New York Rangers hockey team and not the New York Islanders.  
> (Despite both boys coming from Brooklyn)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any Marvel's characters mentioned or any of the real life hockey players/teams mentioned.

January 5, 1937

“So,” Bucky sat down on the cushioned subway seat next to Steve, holding a newspaper in front of both of them, “here are the scores from two days ago.”

“The Rangers lost, Buck. 3-2 in Boston,” Steve pointed to the score.

“Ah, but so did the Americans. 4-2 against the Canadiens. And they have only won 6 games this season. The Rangers have won 10. I think we have a good chance tonight,” Bucky stated optimistically.

The two sat in silence until their stop at 49th street. Bucky read the paper while Steve wondered how he had let Bucky talk him into going to a hockey game.

 

“You’re gonna love it, Stevie! It’s so much fun!” Bucky called out to Steve before bounding down 49th street towards Madison Square Garden.

“Slow down, Bucky!” Steve called after him, pulling his hat further over his ears.

“I’m not gonna slow down, you punk! So you better walk faster!” Bucky had stopped and waited for Steve to catch up but continued to run ahead once he did.

“I can’t, Buck. Asthma, remember?” Steve tried to keep up but even without his asthma he was still several inches shorter than Bucky.

“It’s only one block, Steve. I think you can make it.”

Steve ran the last few steps to the street corner.

“What’s so great about hockey anyway?” Steve asked, out of breath.

“C’mon, Stevie. You’ve read the paper. It’s the world’s fastest game!” Bucky exclaimed. The nineteen-year-old was practically jumping from excitement.

“So you’ve said,” Steve nodded.

“So everyone’s said. That’s how they get us Americans to come out to these events even when money’s tight,” Bucky explained, grabbing Steve by the sleeve and pulling him across the street.

“Us Americans?” Steve asked.

“Canadians don’t need convincing,” Bucky stated, “My dad says they live for the game. Would sell their family for a ticket. And he would know. Used to work with a Canadian before the depression. He saw the first ever Rangers game in ’26 vs the Maroons. Said he knew our team was a winner after that. We kept the former Stanley Cup Champions from scoring a single goal, Stevie!”

“I know, Buck,” Steve sighed, “I’ve heard this story before. You haven’t shut up about the team since your dad took you to see a game for your birthday back in ‘28.”

“Game one of the playoffs! Shut out Pittsburgh 4-0! Going on to win the Stanley Cup in their second ever season!” Bucky reported, beaming proudly.

Steve couldn’t help but smile back. Bucky could read the phone book and make it interesting as long as he was passionate enough.

Bucky had been meaning to take Steve to a game since he had gone. But Steve spent most of the ’28-29 season sick, and the stock market crash in ’29 left the whole country with little money for anything, let alone hockey tickets. Bucky (with a little help from his parents) had been able to come up with enough money for two Rangers tickets for him and Steve. Bucky chose a game against the Americans, knowing nothing would get Steve more excited than a good ole rivalry. Just watching Steve read about the Dodgers losing to the Giants or Yankees was proof enough.

“So how cold is it gonna be in there?” Steve asked.

“Shouldn’t be so bad,” Bucky answered while ushering the two into the Garden, “My dad said Tex Rickard wanted the crowd to be comfortable, so the building is heated.”

“Okay,” Steve said, knowing that he’d end up freezing no matter what.

Bucky grabbed onto Steve’s sleeve again and maneuvered them through what seemed to be every rich hockey fan in New York until they found their seats. Before sitting down, Bucky pulled the sports section of the paper from his back pocket and held it up for Steve so he could read it with him.

“So last game it says Cecil Dillon and Butch Keeling scored,” Bucky read.

“Are they good?” Steve asked.

“That was Dillon’s 11th goal this season and Keeling’s 6th,” Bucky reported. He tried to keep track of how the team was doing. Either buying a newspaper himself or asking some of his boxing buddies to buy one for him. He kept a piece of paper in his sock drawer; putting tally marks next to whoever had scored. It was one of the few things of his Steve wasn’t allowed to touch.

“What about the Americans?” Steve leaned over Bucky to try to find the other team’s stats.

“Nels Stewart and Lorne Carr,” Bucky read, “Both decent players, but not as good as any of the Rangers.”

 

By the time the game got started, Steve was wearing Bucky’s coat and scarf on top of his own. It didn’t stop him from shivering, but what else was he gonna do.

“Keep an eye out for number 5 and number 7,” said Bucky, eyes glued on the ice.

“Why, are they good?” Steve asked.

“The best,” Bucky muttered, “Bill Cook and Frank Boucher. Used to be on a line with Bill’s brother, Bun. They sold him to Boston back in September. Bill and Bun had been playing together since 1924. Imagine being out there on the front line with your brother— your best friend.”

“Yeah,” Steve nodded, not that he was paying much attention to Bucky.

The Rangers scored first, Bucky leaped out of his seat along with the rest of the crowd. Steve scrambled to stand up, finding it a little difficult with the extra bulk of Bucky’s jacket.

“Who was that?” Steve asked once everyone sat down.

“Frank Boucher. His second of the season.” Bucky replied.

“Only his second?” Steve practically scoffed, “Thought you said he was one of the best.”

“He’s getting old,” Bucky shrugged.

Near the end of the first period Babe Pratt scored the second Rangers goal. This time Bucky pulled Steve up with him.

Bucky got up during the first intermission; leaving Steve alone and shivering in his seat. Not that he was complaining much when Bucky returned with popcorn.

After Alex Shibicky’s first and second goal of the night Steve and Bucky had fallen into silence. Steve finally understanding enough of the game to not need to ask questions every two seconds. But he was the one to speak first.

“Look at them, Bucky… Look at what they’re doing. How well they’re skating. I can’t even walk down the street on an icy day without falling,” Steve muttered in awe.

“They fall too, Stevie,” Bucky stated.

“But they get up so fast,” Steve added.

“They’re not made of twigs, Stevie,” Bucky rolled his eyes, smirking when Steve smacked him in the arm.

In the second half of the second period Lloyd Klein beat Davie Kerr to score the first Americans’ goal.

“Fuck!” Bucky cursed.

“It’s only one goal, Buck,” Steve said softly, placing a hand on Bucky’s leg, “We’re still winning.”

“First time I’ve ever seen the Rangers get scored on,” Bucky explained.

“You’ve been to two games, Bucky,” Steve noted.

“Still sucks,” Bucky grumbled.

Bucky stayed in his seat for the second intermission.

“So who scored when you went in ’28?” Steve asked.

Bucky pulled his “sock drawer” paper out of his pocket. Steve could see the names of hockey players on it.

“You write that when you were eleven?” Steve teased.

“Right here in this building,” Bucky beamed, “So Frank Boucher, Bun Cook, Alex Gray and Ching Johnson scored. Lorne Chabot stopped the Pittsburgh Pirates from scoring.”

“Who’s tonight’s goalie?” Steve asked, knowing that Chabot had been traded to Toronto after the first Stanley cup win. Bucky had gone goalie crazy after the Rangers coach had stepped up as goalie during the ‘28 Cup finals. The word goalie was Steve’s least favorite word for at least six months.

“Davie Kerr,” Bucky answered, “He’s pretty good.”

“Looks like it,” Steve agreed.

They spent the third period watching American’s goalie Roy Worters try— and fail— to stop the Rangers’ Ott Heller, Phil Watson and Neil Colville.

In the last ten minutes, number 18 on the Rangers was escorted to the penalty box.

“Of course,” Bucky rolled his eyes.

“What?” Steve asked, easily missing what Bucky was upset about.

“That’s Lynn Patrick.” Bucky pointed to the penalty box, then the Rangers’ bench, “he’s the coach’s son.”

“Is he not good?” Steve asked.

“He’s good, just gets a lot of penalties,” Bucky explained, “Would expect better from the coach’s son.”

“Well I don’t think one penalty is going to ruin our chances of winning,” Steve said hopefully.

“Stranger things have happened,” Bucky shrugged.

Steve’s pretty sure Bucky held his breath until the clock ran out and the Rangers were able to skate away with a 7-1 win over the New York Americans.

 

“Pretty exciting wasn’t it, Stevie?” Bucky wrapped his arm around Steve’s shoulder as the two made their way back to the subway.

“Yeah,” Steve nodded, “I had a great time.”

“When we have more money, I’ll take you back. I promise. Okay, Stevie?”

“I’m holdin’ ya to it, Buck,” Steve smiled, leaning into Bucky’s side.

 

They never raised enough money to venture back to the Garden.

The Stanley Cup returned to the city one more time before they both left for the war. Bucky was thrilled that he was able to enjoy the championship with Steve. With all the shit going on in Europe, it was nice to have a small victory at home.

The day that Steve left for basic training he fished through Bucky’s sock drawer. He could practically hear Bucky yelling at him for touching his stuff as he tucked the sheet of paper into his notebook; hoping to bring a piece Bucky, a piece of the Rangers, with him.

Unbeknownst to him, more than just a piece of the Rangers would be joining him over in Europe. The war bringing over most of their talented players and changing the face of hockey in New York for the next fifty years.

 

June 14, 2014

Seventy-two years had passed since Steve had met Dr. Erskine. Steve was waiting for Bucky, who had returned a little over a month earlier, to wake up in a bad mood. He expected to be lectured on how stupid he had been for enlisting in the war, for becoming Captain America. Not like Bucky had never done that before. The anniversary just seemed like the perfect time to remind him of his stupidity.

Steve sat in the common room area of Avengers towers, hoping Bucky would go easy on him if he had a potential audience.

Bucky did enter the room scowling. Not at Steve though, he stared at the iPad Stark had given the pair a few months earlier.

“The Los Angeles Kings,” Bucky muttered, walking into the room.

“That’s a hockey team, Buck,” Steve said from the couch, “Established in 1957.”

“I know it’s a hockey team,” Bucky practically growled, “What I don’t know is why they had to win the Stanley Cup last night instead of my Rangers.”

He shoved the iPad in Steve’s face, where he saw a picture of a group of Kings players celebrating behind the Rangers goal.

“Poor, Hank. He doesn’t look too happy,” Steve noted.

“Hank?” Bucky asked, taking the iPad back, “Who’s Hank?”

“The Ranger’s goalie,” Steve pointed to the distraught man in the goal crease, “Henrik Lundqvist.”

“What kind of a name is Henrik Lundqvist?” Bucky asked.

“Swedish,” Steve answered.

“There are Swedes in the NHL?” normally Bucky would deem it too early for this much new information, but it was never too early for hockey.

“Since the 60s,” Steve picked up his mug of coffee from the glass coffee table.

“And what’s that thing on his head?” Bucky zoomed in on Hank’s face.

“A goalie mask,” Steve knew this was gonna be a long day.

“That’s not a mask,” Bucky denied Steve’s claim, “That’s some kind of helmet cage thing.”

“Dunno what to tell you,” Steve sunk back into the couch cushion, “Used to be actual masks back in the day. They’ve evolved.”

“Not in my day,” Bucky declared, “Goalies didn’t need ‘em.”

“My day too, Buck,” Steve reminded, “Hockey is different now. Goalies sink down to their knees to block shots. Hank sometimes heads the puck. If Chabot had a mask back in ’28 Patrick wouldn’t have had to step in as goalie.”

Bucky didn’t have any response other than to stare at Steve like he had sprouted another limb.

“You didn’t really expect the Rangers to win the cup, did ya?” Steve asked.

“Sure I did,” Bucky exclaimed, “The Rangers I knew won 3 cups before I left for Europe.”

“Well these Rangers haven’t won since ’94,” Steve said.

“So how many cups do they have all together?” Bucky asked, since Steve seemed to be the expert.

“Four,” Steve replied.

“FOUR?” Bucky’s jaw hung open.

“Yeah,” Steve nodded, “54 years between the third and fourth.”

“So they just sat on their asses’ for 54 years?”

“How productive were you during those 54 years, Buck?” Steve asked.

“More productive than you were, Capsicle!” Bucky declared, using a nickname for Steve he must've gotten from Stark.

“True,” Steve agreed, “But you have to admit it’s pretty hard to win a championship when you have 29 other teams in the league.”

“Holy shit, that’s a lot,” when Bucky had left for the war there had only been six. Sure he had been alive when the NHL had 10 teams, but 30 NHL teams was too much, “How do you know so much, Stevie?”

“I went to a Rangers game this century. The Avengers saved New York. The Rangers got in contact with me and I was invited to drop the puck before a game,” Steve answered.

“Did they know you were a Rangers fan or…”

“They knew I was a fan,” Steve smiled, “They have our newspaper clippings in the Smithsonian exhibit. Apparently your family also confirmed it. Seeing as they were the closest thing to a living family I still had back home.”

“So. Where do the Rangers play now?” Bucky wasn’t sure if he really wanted to know. He had recently found out that the Dodgers were no longer in Brooklyn. He wasn’t sure if he could take the Garden not being there.

“The Rangers play in Madison Square Garden,” Steve reported.

“Thank god,” Bucky sighed, a smile appearing on his face.

“Don’t be relieved yet,” Steve warned, “It’s at a different location. They rebuilt the Garden between seventh and eighth avenue and 33rd and 31st street. It’s the fourth version of the Garden.”

“Does it… look okay?” Bucky asked.

“It’s beautiful, Buck,” Steve smiled, “It’s the world’s most famous arena. There is no better place to watch the Rangers play.”

“Okay,” Bucky sighed, “Good.” Bucky sat down next to Steve, “So who did the Rangers play when you saw them?”

“The New York Islanders,” Steve answered.

“The New York WHO?” Bucky had been around when the newly named Brooklyn Americans had disbanded in ’42. But another New York hockey team was unacceptable.”

“Islanders,” Steve repeated, “As in Long Island. They play at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale.”

“I don’t like Long Island,” Bucky pouted. Sure it had been about 22 and a half years since he had been there in December of '91, but Hydra kind of ruined it for him.

“I know you don’t,” Steve rubbed Bucky’s back.

“Did we at least win?” Bucky asked.

“4-1,” Steve replied with a smile.

“Was this Lundy guy the goalie?”

“Lundqvist has been our goalie since 2005,” said Steve, “He’s one of the best in Rangers history. He won the Vezina Trophy in 2012.”

“The Vezina Trophy…” the way Steve talked about it made it seem like he was supposed know what it was, but it wasn’t ringing a bell.

“It’s presented to the best goal keeper in the league after every season,” Steve explained, “Only five Rangers have won it: Lundqvist, a goalie Eddie Giacomin and his backup shared it in the ‘70s, someone fans have nicknamed Beezer won it in the ‘80s, and Davie Kerr won it in 1940.”

“So I should know that trophy,” Bucky though aloud, “I was around in then. We both saw Kerr play.”

“Yeah,” Steve nodded, “We were probably too distracted with winning the cup that we didn’t really care.”

“So he was good,” Bucky smiled to himself, “I knew it.”

Steve smiled, too. How could he not when Bucky had discovered that not all of his past had disappeared.

“So you’re good?” Steve asked after a few seconds of silence.

“Oh, Stevie. Seventy-two years and you’re still an idiot,” Bucky smirked.

Steve wasn’t smiling anymore.

 

November 11, 2014

“Are you sure we’re dressed warmly enough, Stevie?” Bucky asked, pulling a sweatshirt over his head.

“Positive,” Steve nodded, before shoving a hockey jersey on Bucky.

Bucky looked down and saw the word Rangers written diagonally down the front. He looked at the number 6 on the upper sleeve.

“Whose name is it?” Bucky asked, practically spinning in circles to read the name on his back.

“Cook,” Steve answered, his head popping out of his own jersey. The number 5 was on his sleeve.

“And who do you have?” Bucky asked, grabbing at the back of Steve’s jersey to turn him around.

“It also says Cook,” Steve chuckled, “You have number 6 for Bun and I have number 5 for Bill.”

“How come?” Bucky asked

“Well, you said it yourself. Two best friends fighting together on the front line.”

“But Bill is the older one. Why do you have Bill?” Bucky skipped over the sweet moment Steve was trying to create.

“Because Bill chose to leave the Rangers. He left New York on his own terms. Bun was taken from New York, leaving before his brother,” Steve explained, “Besides, Bill was the captain.” He pointed to the C on his chest.

“I guess Bun is okay,” Bucky grumbled, crossing his arms.

“That’s the spirit!” Steve smiled, shoving a Rangers’ cap on Bucky’s head.

“Are we ready?” Bucky asked.

“We’re ready,” Steve nodded, grabbing Bucky’s hand as they headed to the Garden for their first Rangers game together in almost eighty years.

 

Bucky and Steve walked through the glass hallway and stood against the boards during warm ups. The Rangers were clad in green camo for veteran’s day. Bucky could feel goosebumps on his skin as he watched the teams warm up.

When the door to the ice was reopened near the end of warm ups, Steve shoved Bucky’s arm out just in time to fist bump number 19 as he walked towards the locker room.

“I just touched a hockey player,” Bucky looked back at Steve.

“Don’t be weird,” said Steve, but he was finding it difficult to hide the smile on his face.

After the rest of the team left the ice, Steve stepped out to use the bathroom; deeming it fine to leave Bucky as he was practically drooling over the Zamboni.

When the Rangers returned to the ice, they were wearing their normal blue sweaters.

“So when do we go out?” Bucky asked.

“Now,” Steve ordered, pushing Bucky onto the carpet that had been rolled out all the way to center ice.

Bucky looked up to the scoreboard and almost forgot how to walk when he saw an old picture of himself up there; along with the words: Welcome Home Sergeant Barnes.

He turned back to Steve who was two steps behind him, “Stevie, look.”

“I see,” Steve smiled, placing a hand on Bucky’s back.

Rangers’ captain Ryan McDonagh and Penguins’ captain Sidney Crosby were called to center ice.

“When do I drop the puck?” Bucky asked, turning his head a little to look at Steve.

“Now,” Steve whispered softly, nudging Bucky’s arm so the puck tumbled out onto the ice.

Sidney Crosby held out his hand for Bucky to shake, “Bet you’ve never seen Pittsburgh play, huh?”

“March 27, 1928. Rangers shut out the Pirates 4-0. But I guess that’s not what you’re talking about,” Bucky replied.

Crosby looked slightly baffled as he skated back to his team.

McDonagh smiled brightly as he shook Bucky’s hand before returning back to stand with the rest of the Rangers.

 

“Do you know how many goals I’ve seen Pittsburgh score in my life?” Bucky asked. They were lying in bed after returning home from the garden, going over the game again.

“Zero.”

“Zero!” Bucky echoed.

“Do you remember who scored tonight, Buck?” Steve asked.

“Mats Zuccarello, Marty St. Louis, Kevin Klein, Derick Brassard and Rick Nash,” Bucky recited. Neither of them had written it down but with how many times they had said it, neither was going to forget.

“Can we go to another game, Stevie?” Bucky asked.

“Yes, Buck,” Steve mumbled, rolling over to face away from Bucky.

“Soon?”

“Yes, Buck.”

 

November 29, 2014

Bucky didn’t watch Rangers games on TV. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to. It’s just that Stark had banned him after last time. He hadn’t meant to put his metal fist through the TV screen. That stupid Air France commercial was annoying in all the wrong ways.

Thankfully Steve had promised soon and had delivered; bringing Bucky back to the Garden eighteen days after the Penguins were shutout.

It was about 11:30 into the second period and Bucky was anxious. It was his fourth ever game at the Garden and his first time watching the Rangers trail. Sure they were only down 2-1, but it wasn’t a fun feeling.

Thankfully it disappeared at 11:38 when number 19 shot the puck and it disappeared behind the Flyers’ Ray Emery into the net.

Steve and Bucky jumped to their feet and sang along with the goal song they had become very familiar with during their last trip.

“And you sir,” Steve announced when both had sat down, “have just witnessed Jesper Fast’s first career NHL goal.”

“How do you know?” Bucky asked.

Steve smirked as he pulled a piece of paper and a pen out of his pocket and placed a lone tally mark next to the name Fast.

“It’s been a while since you’ve been in my sock drawer.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading :)
> 
> I'm a really passionate Rangers fan and a really passionate Steve/Bucky fan and had fun doing a ton of research to unite the two. I hope you all enjoyed reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> All hockey players mentioned (current and past) are (were) real NHL players. And all games mentioned happened. (I tried to recreate them to the best of my ability but the timings may be off for the older games).
> 
> I did my best to retell the real events as accurately as possible; but hey, we can't all be super heroes.
> 
> Just so a non-Rangers fan can understand one of the references:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yACKInj9eg&index=63&list=PLbfh9Zve5Gf7AYjv32DSpWLwloovLDDDx  
> (This commercial often plays on the local channel during Rangers games and is seriously annoying)


End file.
